SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras — During a breakfast with reporters a few hours before Wednesday's World Cup qualifier between the U.S. and Honduras, U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati shared a few tidbits concerning the venues for upcoming World Cup qualifiers, an effort to make this summer's CONCACAF Gold Cup a bit more meaningful and the cloudy future of the country's most recognizable player.

Landon Donovan

The absence of the U.S. national team's all-time leading scorer, while expected, has been a hot topic during the build-up to Wednesday's match. Donovan was clear at the conclusion of the MLS season that he needed a break, but his decision hit home in Honduras as the Americans set out to qualify for the 2014 World Cup without their attacking mainstay.

"We have 24 healthy players, and naturally we want to start talking about the one who's not here," Gulati said when asked about Donovan. "I had dinner with Landon a couple of weeks ago in New York."

Gulati joked that Donovan "ordered the tasting menu and I had the vegetarian tempura," and then said seriously: "I have no doubt he'll play at some point."

That statement echoed one from Los Angeles Galaxy coach Bruce Arena, who two weeks ago said Donovan is "definitely playing this year, but we're just working out a return date that makes sense for all of us."

So while talk of Donovan's retirement probably should be shelved, it remains unclear when he'll be ready to suit up for either club or country.

U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann and several players have said they respect Donovan's need for a break but are moving on without him with confidence.

"We are going to go on without Landon at some point, whether it's today, six months from today or two years from today," Gulati said Wednesday. "He's been an important player, no doubt. We had the best record in our history last year (9-2-3), and he didn't play that many games (six).

"But I'm certainly hoping he'll come back."

World Cup qualifying venues

The U.S. national team's first home qualifier this year will be played March 22 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park outside Denver. Gulati said to expect similar venues going forward — the trend is to play in more intimate, soccer-specific stadiums in markets more likely to produce a passionate, pro-U.S. crowd. Major cities on the East Coast, in Texas and in California might be reserved for exhibitions.

"I think you will see us play in this round in five MLS venues and four soccer-specific stadiums," he said. "I think that is how it is shaping up. And none of the soccer-specific venues will be in New Jersey or in Los Angeles and so on."

Kansas City (Sporting Park), Columbus (Crew Stadium) and Salt Lake City (Rio Tinto Stadium) are among venues that seem likely to hold qualifiers this year. The non-soccer-specific facility mentioned by Gulati might be Seattle's CenturyLink Field, which would involve either playing on artificial turf or installing a temporary grass field.

U.S. Soccer has preferred to avoid that issue for past qualifiers, but the massive support for the sport in Seattle might spur the federation to make an exception.

"We will play generally in venues where the U.S. team has been successful in World Cup qualifying before," he said.

CONCACAF Gold Cup

The 2013 Gold Cup, the region's 12th biennial championship for national teams, will lack the luster of the 2011 edition for two key reasons. First, the favorites will be more focused on World Cup qualifying than the Gold Cup and likely will send less-than-full-strength teams. Second, there is no FIFA Confederations berth for the champion.

Mexico will play in this summer's event in Brazil thanks to its Gold Cup triumph at the Rose Bowl two years ago. Based on current regulations, CONCACAF's representative at the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia will be determined by the 2015 Gold Cup.

But that might change.

Klinsmann first hinted at the possibility a couple months ago and Gulati confirmed it Wednesday. There are discussions of a playoff between the 2013 and 2015 Gold Cup winners for the Confederations Cup berth.

"That decision will be made in the next month or two," Gulati said, adding that he supports the idea. "It obviously adds a lot of credibility to the 'off-year' Gold Cup."

Gulati also said there remains some debate about how to proceed if the same team wins both the 2013 and 2015 titles.

There is no discussion, however, about simply staging the competition only every four years. Gulati stressed that revenue from the Gold Cup, which is contested in large stadiums throughout the U.S., funds junior and women's tournaments organized by CONCACAF.

Gulati said there have been talks about playing an enlarged Copa América (the South American championship) in the U.S. in 2016 and including six CONCACAF guests, but that the tournament's absence from the FIFA calendar is a big stumbling block. The U.S. wouldn't be able to secure the release of its European-based players as a result.

"If you get past (the calendar) and our team can play with a full roster, then you work economics and venues," he said. "We are only going to do it if it makes sense for us, meaning we can field a good team, we don't have to shut down MLS, which plays in the summer. Until we're much further down the road and have more information and frankly, better information, it's on hold right now."